A Long Look Podcast

A young person kneels before a crowd of one-percenters in this kaleidoscopic medieval scene. Meet Joan of Arc, one very tough teen. She’s here to convince the exiled French court that she can save Fr…

Slaying dragons and rescuing damsels–all in a day’s work for St. George of Cappadocia. We get his story from The Golden Legend by Jacobus de Voragine, the same place I found the story of St. Lucy!

W…

Excited for Season 4 to get started! We’ll be looking at one big favorite and a couple of hidden gems. Plus one artist I’d never even heard of!

A Long Look is now available on all podcast apps, inclu…

We’ve reached the end of Season 3! Thanks to all you returning listeners and welcome to our new audience members. If you’ve been enjoying the show, you can show your appreciation by subscribing and s…

This dramatic scene was painted by Paolo Veronese during the Counter-Reformation. The Church, reeling from years of corruption and the rise of Protestantism, relied on works like these to promote the…

This deceptively peaceful summer landscape actually bristles with energy! Van Gogh painted this in Arles, in the south of France where he tried to escape modern life and re-discover a simpler, bright…

Today’s painting was a real challenge to describe! It’s by Wassily Kandinsky, a Russian artist who was one of the pioneers of abstract art. We’ll find out how the Apocalypse, Monet, Matisse and music…

Degas broke the rules with his innovative sculpture of Marie van Goethem, a young ballet student at the Paris Opera. We’ll find out where she came from and the not-so-glamorous life of a ballerina in…

Saul of Tarsus is having a very bad day at work. We’ll find out what (or who) is causing all the chaos he encounters on the road and how picking a fight with the wrong guy led Saul into an unexpected…

In the late 1800s, it was common for families to have their pastor over for Sunday dinner. That’s what Richard Norris Brooke is depicting in this cozy domestic scene.

We’ll find out what inspired him…

John Constable painted this bucolic landscape for Major General Francis Slater–Rebow but it’s not what it appears to be! We’ll talk about the headaches caused by an overeager client and what one of t…

Edward Hopper was famous for his ambiguous paintings and “Cape Cod Evening” is no exception. We’ll find out the possible pop culture influence for the scene and how dumb luck can play a big role in c…

In a complete 180 from the spiritual contemplation of our last episode, today we’re looking at the portrait of Jeanne Bécu, who became Madame du Barry, the last mistress of Louis XV of France. She l…

Welcome back for Season 3! We’re starting with one of Vermeer's gorgeous, mysterious paintings. We’ll discover the layers of meaning in this simple domestic scene, what’s in the balance and just what…

I just wanted to let you know I’m hard at work on Season 3! We’re going to start off with another Gallery favorite, this time by Vermeer.

The new season starts soon, and in the spirit of spring rejuv…

We’ve reached the end of Season 2! Thanks to everyone who came back and all the new listeners and subscribers who joined us. I appreciate your support!

I’ll be taking some time off for the holidays a…

The Gallery calls Giorgione “one of the most mysterious artists in the history of art.” We’ll talk about his innovative landscape style and where he got the idea for this gorgeous and unusual depicti…

This full-length portrait of Scottish lawyer William Grant was Stuart’s first but already he was innovating. We’ll find out how a cold day in the studio led to this creative variation on a standard p…

Camille Pissarro was an Impressionist painter who created this sun-drenched view of a famous park in 1900. We’ll find out where this lovely scene takes place and how and why just 5 small strokes of c…

A big naked guy is shown sitting around with a bunch of lions in Rubens' over-the-top painting. Meet Daniel, a favorite counselor to the Persian king Darius. Daniel has made some powerful enemies whi…